The first step is to book a valuation. A valuation tells you how much your home should be put on the market for and is quick and easy to arrange. It’s also completely free. One of our team will visit your property and give you an appraisal of its value based on the current market and the condition of the home itself. They will also run through the service we provide allowing you to make an informed decision about how to proceed.
There are a few expenditures to consider when selling your home. For example, you may need to pay mortgage costs, and it’s likely you’ll have to pay solicitor’s fees too. There are other costs to factor in too, such as estate agency fees, removal company costs, and obtaining an Energy Performance Certificate.
We’re highly proactive with our marketing. Firstly, we’ll take professional photos of your home, which when combined with a floorplan and description, ensures it stands out from the crowd. Then, we mail the property details to our database, which is full of buyers searching for a home just like yours. We also advertise your property on all major property portals, such as Zoopla, Rightmove and OnTheMarket.
We’ll conduct all the viewings on your behalf unless you’d prefer to carry them out yourself. When a prospective buyer requests a viewing, we’ll arrange a time that suits your schedule, then show them around. We always do our homework beforehand, to make sure we can answer any questions, and present your house or apartment in the best possible light. After the viewing, we’ll get in touch with the buyer to obtain feedback and receive an offer where appropriate.
Providing your buyer with an EPC is a legal requirement. The good news is that they’re relatively cheap and easy to obtain and we can arrange this for you. For more details, visit the GOV.UK website.
When all the contracts have been signed, each solicitor will formally exchange the documents with one another. This process is called the ‘exchange of contracts’, and at this point, the sale is legally binding. It is still possible for a buyer or seller to pull out at this stage, but this hardly ever happens, due to the huge financial penalty involved with doing so.
On the day of completion, you’ll move out of your home. Usually, you’ll pre-agree a specific time for your property to be vacated; this is often midday but can be later. You’ll need to deliver your keys to us, so we can give them to your buyer.
The time it takes to complete varies from sale to sale. If you’re not in a chain (i.e. if your buyer doesn’t need to sell a property, and you don’t need to buy one) it can take as little as six weeks. However, if the chain is long, or the surveys bring up any issues, the process can take longer.
Most sellers don’t need to pay Capital Gains Tax. However, if you’ve rented the property out in the past, or used it to make a profit at any point, it’s likely that you’ll need to pay it.
Sellers don’t need to pay Stamp Duty Tax – this is solely the responsibility of the buyer.
Book a valuation